program since 2000. The marked reduction in 

 AXBT drops over the last two years is the 

 result of a change in AXBT drop policy that 

 followed the 2002 ice season. The new policy 

 states that AXBT drops are not to interfere with 

 reconnaissance. 



After coding AXBT data into a standard 

 format. Ice Patrol shared it with the Canadian 

 Maritime Atlantic Command Meteorological 

 and Oceanographic Center — IIP's supplier of 

 AXBT probes— and the U. S. Naval Fleet 

 Numerical Meteorological and Oceanographic 

 Center, where it was quality controlled and 

 redistributed via oceanographic products. 



Satellite-tracked drifting WOCE buoys, 

 drogued at a depth of fifteen or fifty meters, 

 provided near real-time ocean current 

 information. Ice Patrol deployed WOCE buoys 

 primarily in the offshore and inshore branches 

 of the Labrador Current and used data from 

 these buoys to modify the historical current 

 database within IIP's computer model. Because 

 of the sparse distribution of icebergs during the 

 2004 ice season, IIP was able to choose drop 

 locations near individual icebergs or small 



clusters. This precise targeting enabled accurate 

 modelling of such a sparsely distributed iceberg 

 population and therefore demonstrates the 

 value of WOCE buoy data to the Ice Patrol 

 mission. 



During the 2004 season, IIP deployed 

 nine satellite-tracked drifting buoys, five from 

 reconnaissance aircraft and four from volunteer 

 ships (Figure 15). Figure 16 displays AXBT 

 drop locations and composite drift tracks for 

 the buoys deployed in 2004. Detailed drifter 

 information is provided in HP's 2004 WOCE 

 Buoy Drift Track Atlas which is available 

 upon request. 



2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 



I Air 



I Ship 



Figure 15. WOCE buoy deployments (2000-2004). 



51 'N 



48''N 



45"N 



42»N^' 



39'N 



SA^W 



48'^V 



42'W 



36V 



30'^V 



Figure 16. Composite buoy tracks. Green stars represent drop locations of air-deployed 

 buoys and AXBTs. Light blue star represents 1 air-deployed buoy with AXBT and 1 

 ship-deployed buoy. Dark blue star represents 1 ship-deployed buoy, and black star 

 represents 2 ship-deployed buoys. 



12 



